Anne Sippi
exhibited mild symptoms of mental illness within a year of her birth in 1952,
but was not diagnosed as schizophrenic until the age of thirteen. By then, she
had passed through a troubled, withdrawn childhood. She played viola in the
school orchestra, but had no friends and crossed out children's' faces in her
schoolbooks.

During her adolescence Anne's condition steadily worsened
despite continuous efforts at treatment. By the time she entered her Twenties,
she had been in and out of several psychiatric hospitals. Her vocabulary had
shrunk to a few words. She was delusional, heard and responded to voices from
the past, and had become self-mutilating and assaultive. She spent much of her
time in restraints. Deep into the schizophrenic nightmare, Anne would, said many
professionals, never return. Long-term custodial care was the
recommendation.

In 1973, Anne became a patient of Dr. Harvey Ross, a Los
Angeles orthomolecular psychiatrist. A year later, dissatisfied with Anne's
progress, Ross suggested to Anne’s mother, Jane Henderson, that she consult with
Jack Rosberg. Deciding that Anne could be reached, Rosberg began seeing her
seven days a week in sessions lasting for 45 minutes to two hours. Within a
month, Anne began to react to the therapeutic pressure. She became less
assaultive and was able to be moved from a closed to an open hospital
ward.

The next two years were ones of gains and losses as Rosberg, now
aided daily by Chess Brodnick, joined a sometimes desperate battle with his
patient. Twice, Anne was rehospitalized. Twice, she ran away. But by the end of
1975, her vocabulary had vastly expanded and her manner was quicker and sharper.
The biggest gain was that much of Annes’ most bizarre behaviors had
disappeared.| In 1976, Anne moved into a board and care home while
continuing to see Rosberg and Brodnick. At that time, Jane Henderson and Jack
Rosberg began investigating the possibility of founding a clinic for the care of
people like her daughter. The Anne Sippi Clinic was formed later that year as a
day care facility; patients like Anne were housed at various board and care
homes. By the end of 1978, sufficient financial support had been gathered to
purchase and open the present residential care building.